Your kids are too old to trick-or-treat, but they’re still young enough to enjoy all the fun and excitement of Halloween. To do? Help them plan a party that combines the best of Halloween: crazy costumes and lots of goodies.
First, choose a date for the event. A school night is not the best option, so choose a Friday or Saturday as close to Halloween as possible. Decide how long the party will last. Three hours is a good amount of time: enough time to eat and have some crazy games, but not so long that the kids get restless and start inventing their own entertainment.
Invitations can be as simple as email or you can pick up a few at the local store. There are also great online resources that can be printed directly on your home computer. Whatever the choice, keep track of how many invites are going out. You must supervise your teen on this or you may end up with the entire 8th grade class at home!
Help your teen choose a menu. Favorite foods can be “modified” to become Halloween specialties. Pizza can be made “mouldy” by adding some extra mozzarella that has been colored with green food coloring. Local bakeries have all kinds of spooky desserts: orange and black cupcakes, spider cookies, etc. Carrot sticks continue the orange color scheme and are even better paired with a “stringy” green sauce. Add a little extra green food coloring to an onion and sour cream sauce for a little “slime.” Be creative. Most kids don’t have any difficulty coming up with “yuck” food ideas.
To keep drinks simple, opt for canned sodas. Fill a wheelbarrow or metal tub with ice and submerge the cans. To add a squeak factor to a drink’s recovery, here are a couple of ideas: Toss cooked spaghetti with ice cubes; individual grapes submerged in ice; if you’re lucky enough to have a fake hand, dip it into the ice. Again, your teen will be a great source of fun ideas.
Decorate!! If the weather is cooperating, use your backyard and get as wild as your budget allows. Instead of buying a bunch of disposable stuff, think about reusable stuff. After all, you know that this is going to be affected and will repeat itself next year. Craft stores have inexpensive Halloween fabric that can be cut into pieces to cover your picnic table. Don’t spend too much on paper plates that probably won’t be used anyway. Halloween paper towel or napkin rolls should do the trick. Halloween string lights are now available at all discount stores. These hang cool in trees or outside on the terrace and even from bushes. Straw bales are cheap and provide atmosphere and seating. Take some old clothes and make a scared crow. Fill it with leaves or straw.
And of course, no Halloween party is complete without pumpkins! Have some carvings displayed to decorate. One idea is to have each guest bring a carved pumpkin (or a pumpkin of their choice) to the party. Provide small tea lights or, to be on the safer side, get a bunch of those glow sticks and illuminate your handiwork. Don’t forget the Halloween music!
There are a plethora of party game resources available. For a minimal amount of money, you can purchase and print games directly from online party game sites. There are also many free party game ideas online. Make sure your teen finds the ones that are age appropriate! They may sound cheesy, but the old sack races and three-legged races are still cool.
As the party begins to wind down, have your young host hand out a small gift to show your appreciation to your guests for coming. This could be chocolate bars (not bite sized ones), anything that glows in the dark. Or try some cool personalized favors. These are really easy to find online and arrive right at your doorstep within a week of ordering. Party favors are just a nice finishing touch to any planned party.
